More Than
30 Years with Sonor DrumsSteve Smith has been playing and endorsing Sonor
Drums since 1977.

In 2007, Steve celebrated 30 years with Sonor.
In celebration of that milestone, Steve said: “Sonor
drums have remained my first and only choice as
a high quality instrument for the past 30 years.
My sound is the Sonor sound. I can't imagine
playing any other drum kit."

In order to
celebrate this anniversary, Steve Smith and the
Sonor engineers created a true masterpiece in
sound, features, design. The idea behind this
kit was not only to create a kit that would be
sought-after as fan memorabilia, but also a
superb instrument for any kind of musical
situation.

Steve's Current SetupHere is what Steve has to say about his
current setup:

"Today, I play two main
kits. On the West coast, I have a Maple Sonor
SQ2 kit finished in Silky Oak with 8x7, 10x9,
and 12x11 rack toms and 14x14 and 16x16 floor
toms. The bass drum is 20x20. The side snare is
12x5 and made of clear acrylic.

My East
coast kit (store in New York City) and my
European kit (stored at the Sonor Factory in
Germany) is my 30th anniversary signature kit,
which is made of 9-ply beech and finished in
Birdseye Amber Satin. The kit includes 8x8,
10x8, and 12x8 rack toms, plus 14x14 and 16x16
floor toms, plus a 20x16 bass drum and 12x5
matching beech side-snare.

With all of
my kits, I use my 5.5x14 Steve Smith Signature
metal snare drum."

In 2008,
Steve and Sonor celebrated 30 years together
with 50 clinics all over the world.

At
the clinics, Steve wowed the audience with an
extended solo piece that combined incredible
technique, dynamics, and musicality. Playing
with mallets, signature Tala Wands and sticks,
Steve painted these incredible sounding drums
and his array of Zildjian cymbals.

Steve
also demonstrated some techniques from the
recent Hudson video "Playing with Brushes." He
then finished up with his version of "Mr. Hi
Hat," always a crowd pleaser!

Only 100 of
the 30th anniversary kits were made.

Signature Snare Drum

Steve and the
SONOR engineers have created a true
masterpiece that is addicted to sound, features,
design and most of all, Steve's input.

The 14" x 5.5" Signature Snare Drum is an
outstanding instrument, made out of an
exclusive, 2.5 mm cast steel shell / 2.5 mm
reinforcement rings and two air vents. Vintage
Style Phonic lugs with integrated TuneSafe are
in place for a vintage look, and die-cast hoops
and a REMO fiberskyn 3 batter head in Diplomat
thickness add to the overall effect of what
Steve is looking for in a snare drum: a crisp,
full-bodied instrument with an immediate and
effortless playing response.

Besides the
Signature Badge, Steve's Signature is engraved
on a Re-Issue of the “Hilite Exclusive"¯ badge,
adding another “Vintage SONOR" touch. Steve uses
this instrument in studio sessions and live on
tour with his groups Vital Information and Jazz
Legacy.